Red-Tailed Hawk Overcomes Mystery Illness

The following story about a red-tailed hawk was shared with us by Rocky Mountain Raptor Program in Colorado.

In early July, rehabilitation staff at the Rocky Mountain Raptor Program received a call about a hatch-year red-tailed hawk that was acting strangely in Fort Collins, Colorado. The bird was known to be a resident of a local park. It had been observed many times previously as it learned how to hunt and fly. This day was different.

The bird was exhibiting odd behavior. Its flight was awkward and weak, and it was found sleeping on a low fence post. When people approached, it did not react to their presence. A rehabilitation staff member was dispatched to rescue the sickly bird.

On admission, the bird was found to be mildly dehydrated and underweight at 824 grams (about 1.8 pounds), but not emaciated. This was a good sign, indicating the bird hadn’t been down for too long. An infestation of feather lice and a yeast infection in the bird’s mouth suggested that the bird was likely immunocompromised.

For the initial 18 hours in care, the bird was given warmed, subcutaneous fluids for rehydration. It was then started on a course of antibiotics and fed a small, 2-ounce, easily digestible meal of non-casting rabbit.

Despite attentive care, the bird’s symptoms worsened rapidly within the first 48 hours. It was no longer capable of standing and had neurological signs, such as star-gazing and nystagmus. It was unable to digest solid food and had regurgitated its meal.

As a result of the worsening signs, rehabilitation staff started the bird on small, 25-cc meals of tube-fed EmerAid IC Carnivore food.

An oral swab and blood were taken to test for West Nile Virus, a common neurological disease in young raptors, but the tests came back negative.

Despite no definitive diagnosis, the bird rebounded within a few weeks with daily care and medications, gaining weight rapidly with EmerAid’s specially tailored diet for carnivores.

Once the hawk moved out of the critical care unit, the rest of its recovery was uncomplicated. After successful flight-conditioning and live-prey testing, the hawk was released back into its home territory, now at a healthier weight of 1,026 grams (about 2.3 pounds).